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As a working mom of two girls ages 2 and 4, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day…never mind time for me. Over the past few months, I’ve found it increasingly important to make time for me. It’s not easy…but it is so important. Last week, I was invited by the awesome people at Be Styled in Chestnut Hill to come in and check out their lounge for a complimentary blow dry.

I was soooo incredibly thankful. And that’s before I knew they’d serve me champagne!

It just so happened that 1) I had a light schedule last week and could make time for a blowout, 2) my hair had been in a braid for DAYS and desperately needed some TLC, and 3) I was going out to dinner with my girlfriend that evening. Perfect timing all around.

I arrived in a braid.

Check-in was super easy and after I gave my name, they asked if I wanted water, coffee, cappuccino, champagne, a mimosa…I didn’t even let them finish and I was sold on a mimosa.

The wash was great, and the scalp massage following it was even better.

I enjoyed the blowout while sipping my mimosa and watching Bridge Jones Diary on the large flat screens.

I loved the style I chose. I was so happy with how it looked.

It was the best $35 I never spent…thanks to Be Styled because they invited me for free. But I would totally spend the $35 once in a while for a little pampering. Seriously, it’s worth it. Especially on a hot summer day when you don’t want to do your own hair…or before a date night or a girls night out. My blowout lasted for days, even in some light rain and humidity.

And the best news….you can get a FREE blowout at their new location in Wellesley, MA! The Wellesley lounge is opening later this week and is giving FREE blowouts, yes you read that right, FREE blowouts on Friday, August 9th and Saturday, August 10th. You can book online and even though it says $35, all blowouts are FREE these two days!

You deserve it…book a blowout…and enjoy!

I was invited for a complimentary service at the Be Styled lounge in exchange for this review. However all opinions presented here are my own.

It’s a casual’ish long-sleeved t-shirt with the flower design. I wore it under a black blazer with super skinny black cigarette pants for a work meeting one day…but I feel that it has much more potential.

So, WWYW? What would you wear? I know it can be worn with bright skinnies but I’m looking to pair it with a contrasting print. Strips? Dots? Gingham?

I love fashion. And I’m all for a trends. But I’m also all for understanding what I can and cannot wear. I’m petite. To say the least…4’8″. So there are some things that just don’t work on me…and there are other things I just don’t like.

Here it is, the spring 2013 trends that I WON’T be wearing!

Crop Tops. Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s that I’ve two kids via c-section. Maybe it’s because I live in Boston and spring can still be cold. I guarantee I will not be wearing any crop tops. I love this striped top in theory, but not reality.

Cutouts. I mean, you can pretty much just say “ditto” to #1. And also it seems as though the cutouts on all the dresses I am seeing are just in the most inopportune places for 99% of people.

Neon. I’m not morally opposed to it in any way, it’s just not flattering as a color on me. And I feel like I should be at a roller skating rave party at 3am wielding glow sticks. Right?

Peplum skirts. Not all peplum. Just peplum skirts. I love a peplum jacket or top and even a dress. The peplum usually falls nice on me and gives my body a great shape. But when it’s just a skirt, it just doesn’t work right on my body. It falls too low and throws my proportions all out of whack. Maybe if I were a foot taller, but in my current state, nope.

Bold bottoms. I actually love the idea of a floral or patterned pant. But I’ve tried on numerous styles, fits, cuts, brands and colors and have yet to find one that works for me. Being so short, I think the bold print just calls too much attention to my lower half, and how short it is. My top half is short too…so I need to focus on things that elongate my body. And these definitely do not. I can work a bright-colored bottom with the right top and heels, but the patterns will have to stay for the taller ladies.

Wedge sneakers, chunky heels and flatforms. I love shoes. All types of shoes. But not these. You’d think a short girl might like some lift in her sneakers…but I find these just odd. The chunky heels from J. Crew look like something my 85-year-old grandmother would wear, and the flatforms? What the heck are those? They look like something Fred Flinstone would wear.

That all being said, I like the look of the cropped striped shirt with the floral bottoms. Mixed prints anyone? Not on me…but I could see it on a 19-year-old college student 😉

If you don’t agree with me, here is more info on the pieces listed above.

WWYW? What would you wear? I wrote the post asking YOU to help me style outfits to wear with these boots. I specifically asked some of my favorite fashionista bloggers for their ideas. I was shocked that I had all the items they recommended, even the jewelry!

Cue fashion show in my bedroom.

Followed by awkward self-portrait session with my iPhone in the mirror.

DISCLAIMER: I am terrible at self-portraits. I can’t get the lighting right, my nice camera wasn’t focusing properly…but whatever. I’ll work on it

It’s really hard for me to select a favorite. The all black looks, whether the dresses or the top and pants are chic and classic and I’d definitely wear all of them. The red was a surprise to me….I loved it a lot more than I expected. I thought it might be too much…but it wasn’t. It was adorable. I liked the idea of the striped t-shirt but had trouble figuring out what type of jeans to pair it with. I like the look but I think on my petite frame, it wasn’t best.

What shocked me is HOW much I LOVED Mr. Kate’s styled outfit. OMG. It’s NOTHING I’d ever put together…but maybe that’s why I loved it so much!!!! So I took some extra pics!

I love shopping for and buying accessories. In 2008, I found a pair of shoes I could not resist. Christian Louboutin knee-high stiletto platform leopard boots. That’s a mouthful. I found them on sale at Off Saks, Saks Fifth Avenue’s outlet store. I spotted the red soles from across the store… literally. I was like a moth to a flame. My husband was with me…once he saw me lift them out of the box, he knew I had to have them. I tried them on and couldn’t zip them. I have muscular calves, but these babies were made for toothpick legs. Maybe that’s why they were sooooo discounted. I think they retailed for over $1,500 and they were on sale for just over $500.

I walked around in them, unzipped, for a few minutes trying to decide on whether or not to buy them. I just couldn’t resist the price, and even my husband agreed, they were a great deal. So I bought them.

I found a shoe repair spot in downtown Boston that does work for Barney’s. I had to have the boots stretched in the calf three times in order for them to fit. But after three times, they fit. And then I got pregnant. And while I continued to wear some of my heels, these were out of the question, because even after being stretched three times, they were snug in the calves, and I guess I gained weight in my calves, if that’s even possible, during pregnancy. After I had my first baby, I wore the boots a few times, but for the most part, they’ve been in my closet for 4 1/2 years.

It’s time for them to come out back out. I’ve had two kids, back to pre-baby weight, and feeling sassy!

So, my question to you is….What would you wear these with? Style me some amazing outfits to wear! Be creative…but not over the top….and GO!

Tis the season…bring on the eggnog…ho ho ho. I love the holidays. I love everything about them, even though they are busy and chaotic. I love holiday parties, especially getting all dressed up for them. Here is a look at my favorite holiday outfit this season (I’ve worn it twice already):

T-minus 5 shopping days (including today) until Christmas. If you are one of those people who still needs to buy a gift or gifts for the special someone in your life, just go for jewelry. It’s really the easiest to buy and in my opinion, the most appreciated. If I get a little box, I know it holds something good.

To make it even easier on you, just go to Fragments for anything you may need. And like the other gift guide that I published last week, the top items I’m showcasing here are basically my personal picks…I’ll take one of each for anyone who still needs to buy for me. Size 6 for rings. Thank you very much. Items below range from $135 – $8,020…so if you’re looking for a last-minute Secret Santa gift under $30, turn around and look elsewhere…but if you want to find an amazing gift, check these out!

Gorgeous right? It’s really hard to go wrong with jewelry…and even harder to go wrong if your shopping at Fragments. I stumbled upon this site and found some of the most gorgeous jewelry. Fragments is a curated gallery of both fine and fashion jewelry, and features numerous amazing artists. They have a robust website, and also a retail store in NYC’s SOHO neighborhood. Honestly the jewelry is gorgeous. But if you’re looking for an amazing gift for your wife, girlfriend, mother, sister, best employee (hint hint to my boss), you’ve found the perfect spot.

And these gift ideas are not just good for Christmas…keep these in mind for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, push presents or anniversary gifts!

Happy Holidays!

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I was compensated for this post but all opinions and suggestions are my own as per TinySophisticate’s policy. And let’s face it…all this stuff is amazing.

Okay, if you know me at all, you know me + wordless does not mix. So I have to write a few words. Our kids don’t willingly sit on Santa’s lap for pictures. Since the age of 6 months, never have. Never will. We even invite Santa over for brunch but they still resist.

So in order to get a family photo…we had to be creative and do some Photoshopping.

Not bad huh?

And for my style and fashion friends, I was wearing a pair of awesome green festive skinny jeans from Old Navy with booties and a black top!

I recently joined Charlene of Charlene Chronicles on her MomTV show to discuss fall 2012 fashion trends and how to wear them. Check out the video below, or read through the trends below the video:

We had a great time discussing these five hot fall trends. There are many more…but we had to keep it to 30 minutes

Trend #1: Bottoms Up.

Pants are having a moment this fall. Bright colors. Bold patterns. Different silhouettes. I’m seeing bright, fun pants everywhere from J.Crew to Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Loft…as well as at Target, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s.

This trend is easy and versatile to incorporate into your wardrobe. It can be wearable for day or night, conservative or edge.

The outfit on the left is great for work while the outfit on the left would be great for date night or girls night.

Trend #2: Animal Prints.

The animal print trend comes around every few seasons, but this year has been with us since spring. We saw it with the Michael Kors spring 2012 runway show, but it is still in stores and on trend for fall and winter.

It is very easy to go overboard with this trend. Resist the urge. Keep it simple. If you are daring, a dress or stilettos look fantastic. But if you are more conservative, try a belt, scarf or shoe.

The Tory Burch leopard print shoes give a nod to the trend without going overboard. This outfit is perfectly suitable for work, dropping the kids off at school, apple picking or even a casual dinner. I’ve seen leopard flats everywhere from Macy’s to TJ Maxx, from high $$$ to low $ so you can surely find something in your budget.

Trend #3: Light colors

I was excited to see lighter colors featured on some of the Fall 2012 runway shows:

Alexander McQueen started his show off with winter whites and pale pinks which you don’t always see for fall. Often times, fall = grey, black, brown.

This outfit is awesome for mom’s and can be worn apple picking, to work, to school and shopping. The Madewell cardigan looks great over a pair of winter white skinny jeans from GAP and Frye boots. Instead of buying pure white skinny jeans, opt for off white that can take you year round.

This white blazer, tank and leather leggings outfit is a great alternative to the little black dress for a cocktail party or holiday party. I have this same outfit with the blazer from Nordstrom, leggings from Forever21!

Trend #4: Leather.

Speaking of leather….leather is HOT right now. I’m seeing different silhouettes such as leggings, dresses and even shirts. Urban Outfitters even has Vegan leather jacket options.

A classic silhouette of a leather jacket is timeless, so if you are looking for one investment piece, you will get a lot of wear out of it. But if you want to get crazy, you can definitely find crazy out there (I am crazy as I have a leather jacket, leggings, shorts and a vest!).

Trend #5: Military

The military trend comes around every few years and it’s back.

I think a little goes a long way with military and you don’t want to look like you just got back from bootcamp unless..well, you just got back from bootcamp.

I have seen great military inspired jackets at Zara, Mango, Macy’s and Anthropologie and pairing a jacket with your own skinny jeans and boots is a great way to incorporate this trend. Flats or high boots would be great too.

Here are some tips I shared to help with keeping on trend this season…and any season:

Don’t try to copy the runway. You’ll look crazy. Look at your favorite magazines and even your friends and wear what suits you.

Shop your closet before shopping the mall. This fall, there is not a huge shift or change in styles and silhouettes. The same styles have been on trend for the past few seasons. Before you start spending money, try clothes on from your own closet to see what you can use in different ways.

Buy pieces that you can wear from season to season. As I mentioned before, go with winter white skinny jeans instead of pure white and you’ll get more wear out of them. Stay away from wool and linen which only get wear for one season.

Don’t spent too much money on super trendy pieces. If leopard isn’t your thing but you want a new item, go for a scarf from Forever21 or TJMaxx that doesn’t break the bank. Stick to more classic pieces to spend money on.

After yesterday’s post, I find it ironic I’m super casual today. But even being super casual, I do take a few minutes to put myself together. Today’s agenda included school dropoff, working from home, lunch, picking up vegetables from the farm and more working from home. And here is my casual, rainy day outfit: